London Natural History Programme Society MAR - AUG 2020 WALKS TALKS WORKSHOPS EVENTS LONDON’S WILDLIFE FOR INQUISITIVE MINDS EVENTS ARE OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS BUT VISITORS ARE ALSO WELCOME. EVENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE UNLESS SPECIFIED. CHANGES TO THIS PROGRAMME WILL BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE: WWW.LNHS.ORG.UK AND IN THE NEWSLETTER. INDOOR MEETINGS AT FORMAL INDOOR MEETINGS, illustrated talks are given and questions invited. Booking or door charge may be required. INFORMAL INDOOR MEETINGS are a forum to exchange natural history ideas and problems. Members are invited to report observations and bring specimens/pho- tos. FIELD MEETINGS Bring lunch and tea on whole-day meetings. Stout shoes or boots are advisable. Binoculars and/or hand lenses are recommended. Cars not needed unless otherwise specified. On occasion there may be extra field meetings or cancella- tions at short notice. Please check the most updated programme on the LNHS website http://www.lnhs.org.uk/index.php/activities/full-programme TRANSPORT In the text for each entry ‘NR’ denotes a Network Rail station, and ‘U/g’ denotes the London Underground. TFL stations are named and line/s added where useful. Get up-to-date facts from: National Rail Enquiries 03457 484950, http://www.nationalrail.co.uk TFL Helpline 0343 222 1234, https://tfl.gov.uk For other enquiries contact the relevant Meetings Secretary. NATURE CONSERVATION Information about damage, or the threat of damage, to places of natural history interest in the Society’s area should be sent to the Conservation Officer (see page 16), whether or not representatives of the appropriate wildlife trust have been informed. DATA PROTECTION The Society's Privacy Notice explains what personal data the Society holds about members and others, why and how we use it and your rights in relation to that data. It can be found on the Society's website or obtained from the Assistant Treasurer. Cover photo: Common brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) © Joe Beale BOOKHAM COMMON SURVEY The surveys are opportunities for individual or group studies to investigate and monitor aspects of the natural history of 400 acres of deciduous woodland and scrub grassland, with a stream and nine ponds, on this N.T. common. Large scale maps, aerial photographs, progress reports, identification handbooks and charts available. Explorer No 146 recommended. Meetings are held on the second Saturday in each month. Meet at Society’s hut (TQ125563) at 11am or between 1pm and 2pm. Car parking on common at grid ref. TQ121567, 134569 and 130557. Anyone needing to be met at station please phone Steve Mellor (013 7245 6143) the day before. Bring lunch. Tea made at hut. Beginners and experts all welcome. HAMPSTEAD HEATH SURVEY The Hampstead Heath Survey is a long-term project to record the flora and fauna in this large area (more than 300 ha) of semi-natural habitat entirely surrounded by the urban environment of North London. Walks and study events, focused on various aspects of the ecology and wildlife of the Heath, are held throughout the year. All are welcome, experts and beginners alike, so come along and bring your friends if you want to discover more about Hampstead Heath's diversity of wildlife. For further information contact: Kat Duke at [email protected] © Mick Massie 2 MARCH © Joe Beale Sat Hampstead Heath Bird Survey 7 9.30am – 2pm Pete Mantle Meet outside Hampstead Heath overground station (which is a few minutes' walk from Belsize Park tube station on the Northern line). End time is approxi- mate. Bring lunch if you wish to continue after 1pm, as many of us doubtless will. Everyone is very welcome, members or not, so spread the word. Wed Wild Philippines 11 7pm – 8.30pm (Doors open at 6.30pm) Nigel Hicks TALK Burgh House, New End Square, Hampstead, NW3 1LT Through his talk, Nigel summarises the essence of his book ‘Wild Philippines’ (due Summer 2019), concentrating especially on some of the Philippines' many endemic species, particularly its birds. He describes a few of these species, and outlines both the huge problems faced as a result of habitat loss and some of the progress being made by the country's increasingly active and prominent conservation movement. Nigel has worked off and on for around 20 years in the Philippines and the talk will be richly illustrated with images of its fauna. FREE admission sponsored by John Beaufoy Publishing & Jetwing Safari Camp Yala. Sat Bookham Common Survey 14 11am - 4pm See page 2 for details. Brookwood Cemetery for bryophytes 11am – 4pm Pete Howarth Meet at Brookwood Station (SU952569, NR W'loo). Bring lunch. Sat London Wetland Centre for birds 21 10.30am – 1pm Michael Howard & Shailesh Patel One of Europe’s premier urban wetland reserves. Meet outside visitor centre by Sir Peter Scott statue. Non-WWT members, do not get your tickets until the group has assembled. For directions and facilities see London Wetland Centre website. (Toilets). 3 BIRDS BOOKHAM BOTANY Eco. & Ent. HAMPSTEAD An introduction to macrophotography of invertebrates Sat 2pm – 4pm Richard McMellon 21 Angela Marmont Centre, Natural History Museum TALK Are you interested in taking macrophotographs of invertebrates but don't know where to start? Richard will walk us through the various options now available, from mobile phone clip-ons through extension tubes and purpose-made lenses for DSLRs, showing the macro is open to all, no matter what skills you may have or what your budget is. He will also show you tips and tricks and talk about composition and post-processing. Although this talk is geared towards beginners, those with some experience will also learn something new! Brent Res for wildfowl, late winter visitors (Bullfinch possible) and Sun early summer migrants 22 10am – 12pm Andrew Peel Meet at Cool Oak Lane Bridge (TQ219 877). Nearest station is Hendon (NR St. Pancreas). (No toilets). Botany walk Sun (British Summer Time) Mark Spencer 29 Further details to be announced. Please check the on-line programme for information on this meeting: http://lnhs.org.uk/index.php/activities/ full-programme APRIL © Joe Beale Hampstead Heath Spring Spider Survey Sat 10.30am – 3pm David Carr (BAS recorder) 4 Meet at 10.30am outside Golders Green underground station (Northern line). End time is approximate. Bring lunch. Everyone is very welcome, members or not, so spread the word. Crossness for early migrants and waders Sun 10am – 1.30pm George Kalli 5 Meet 10am at Belvedere Stn. (NR Charing Cross). Bring lunch. (No toilets). Bookham Common Survey Sat 11am - 4pm See page 2 for details. 11 Sun Harefield Woods for botany 12 11am – 4pm Mark Spencer Meet 11am at Harefield Church car park (TQ05349 89607). Bring lunch. Sat London Wetland Centre, Barnes for botany 18 10.30am – 4pm Richard Bullock Places are limited to 15 so please book with George Hounsome on 01483 766842 or by e-mail on [email protected]. Meet 10am at the Peter Scott statue by the entrance bridge (TQ2263576779). Nearest stations: Barnes Bridge, Barnes Common (NR W'loo), and Hammersmith (u/g Dist. & Picc.) Fri Birding a Local Patch 24 7pm – 8.30pm (Doors open at 6.30pm) Dominic Couzens TALK Gospel Oak Methodist Church, Agincourt Road, NW3 2NT (Lisburne Road entrance) Dominic is a prolific, best-selling author of nature books. His writing varies from nature columns in popular magazines to detailed photographic field guides. This talk is all about being in the Patch-watchers’ category, who are every bit as keen as their twitcher colleagues, but are content to watch day-in, day-out, at the hallowed area of the ground that they call their Local Patch. Entrance charge of £5 (£3 for MBS or LNHS members). Joint event with MBS. Sat Perivale Woods Field Recorder Day 25 10am – 3.30pm Field Recorder Days are informal peer-to-peer learning experiences where naturalists can spend a day in the field together sharing their knowledge. Whatever your level, from beginner to expert, we invite you to take part. The aim of these days is to give people the opportunity to practice identification and surveying skills in a friendly environment to build confidence in biological recording. Please note that this event will involve individuals collecting, preserving and killing invertebrate specimens for identification purposes in order to assist us in generating a site species list. Free event. Booking is essential: FSC BioLinks www.field-studies-council.org/shop/courses/ perivale-wood-field-recorder-day/ Sun Bluebell walk at Beckenham Place Park 26 2pm – 5pm Nick Bertrand Meet 2pm outside the mansion. Nearest station is Beckenham Hill (TQ380713, NR London Bridge). Joint with Friends of Beckenham Place Park and Creekside Education Trust. 5 may © Joe Beale Hogsmill River Field Recorder Day Sat 2 10am – 3.30pm Field Recorder Days are informal peer-to-peer learning experiences where naturalists can spend a day in the field together sharing their knowledge. We’ll be starting and ending the day at Hogsmill Education Centre, Thames Water Hogsmill Sewage Works, Lower Marsh Lane, Kingston upon Thames KT1 3BW. Please note that this event will involve individuals collecting, preserving and killing invertebrate specimens for identification purposes in order to assist us in generating a site species list. Free event. All levels are welcome, but please book: FSC BioLinks http://www.field-studies-council. org/shop/courses/hogsmill-river-field-recorder-day/ Oxshott Heath/ Esher Common for heathland invertebrates 10.30am – 4pm Stuart Cole Oxshott Heath/ Esher Common for heathland invertebrates with Stuart Cole. Meet 10.30am Oxshott Station (NR W'loo). Hampstead Heath Spring Bee and Fly Survey 10.30am – 3pm Prof. Tony Madgwick Meet 10.00am outside Hampstead underground station (Northern line) OR 10.30am at the car park by Jack Straw's Castle (the 210 bus goes to Jack Straw's Castle).